The absence of urban planning in the second half of the 20th century is the most striking feature in the urban tissue of Malacky. It is the reason why roads and cars completely took over, in other words, the cult of car preveils over inhabitants, making any attempt of urbanity impossible. The main square of Malacky is called Kláštorné námestie, which is a space defined mainly by a four-lane intersection. This situation will probably never allow it to become a real square providing adequate leisure opportunities typical of European squares. We perceive the intention to build a cultural cluster in the city center as an opportunity for a creation of a democratic, inclusive and cultural public space, while we consider the relationship between Kláštorné námestie and the new square to be essential. While Kláštorné námestie is more park-like and dominated by tall trees, the new square is designed as paved and offers conditions for gathering, sharing, scootering, or watching hockey. Urbanity is an absolute priority in our project. Architecture submits to urban planning. It is a framework for the desired content and defines a new public space. The architectural expression is intentionally neutral and is a response to the visually unstable surroundings. We distribute the program of cultural hub into two objects. We are reconstructing the original 7-story building of the city office and cleaning it from extensions. We are placing a restaurant, a library and a city cultural center with a public observation deck on the flat roof. We replace the original unsatisfactory facades of the building with new ones. Sun-exposed facades are built on the wall-window principle with the possibility of shading with blinds. Ceramic tiling in white design is a unique representative of solid materiality in the given environment. The northeast side of the building is fully glazed and transparently opens to the new public space. The restaurant on the raised ground floor has a sliding facade and during the summer months it turns into a terrace with direct contact with the square. We are placing the multifunctional hall, art school and kulturbar into a new linear building. The great hall is accessible from the foyer, but also directly from the square, which enables the connection of the interior and exterior, e.g. in the case of markets.The reorganization of traffic creates a generous pedestrian zone, while all objects in the area continue to be served by transport. Essential for the new square is the inclusion of adjacent buildings in the public space, including a house with a pharmacy, a hotel and most imortantly the synagogue, which is finally getting into a more adequate context.

Location: Malacky, Slovakia
Status: 2nd prize in competition
Year: 2021
Plot area: 6000 m²
Surface area: 7380 m²
Collaboration: Totalstudio